Pallet cardboard foot

ABSTRACT

A cardboard pallet supported on select numbers of a circular foot each seated in circular openings die cut to a diameter, wherein each foot consists of a select number of helical turns of a corrugated strip of a standard width and the number of turns selected provides a diameter correlated to the diameter of the circular openings.

[0001] The present invention relates to improvements in palletizing a bulk container, the improvements, more particularly, residing in the components used in the palletizing procedure such as a pallet foot, which obviates delamination of the adhesive attachments involved.

EXAMPLE OF THE PRIOR ART

[0002] The practice of adhesively attaching weight-supporting structures directly to large boxes or containers to provide clearance under the bottom of these containers for tines of a forklift to enable transit of the thusly prepared containers is well known and in the parlance of the trade is known as palletizing the container. An example of palletizing is illustrated and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,101 for “Quick-Bonding Adhesively Attachable Support Pads for Palletizing Containers” issued to Charles A. Heidelbach on Feb. 24, 1976.

[0003] In the palletizing of the '101 and all other Imown patents, the feet which hold the container raised for handling by fork lift tines are only as stable as their adhesive attachment to the container, and often the adhesive attachment breaks down from the abuses of use. An attempt to seat the feet, usually of a cylindrical shape, in circular openings so that the edges bounding these openings assist in holding the feet in place is not entirely satisfactory because of the inability to match the diameters of the feet and circular openings so that a cooperating circular opening is not oversized and, in the clearance resulting will not prevent movement allowed by the clearance that delaminates the adhesive.

[0004] Broadly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome the foregoing and other shortcomings of the prior art.

[0005] More particularly, it is an object to use to advantage the die cut precision of a circular opening in the cardboard construction material in which a cylindrical pallet foot is seated, in a construction of the pallet foot with equal precision in the diameter of its assumed cylindrical shape, to match these diameters so as to obviate any degree of adhesive-delaminating movement, all as will be better understood as the description proceeds.

[0006] The description of the invention which follows, together with the accompanying drawings should not be construed as limiting the invention to the example shown and described, because those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains will be able to devise other forms thereof within the ambit of the appended claims.

[0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bulk container palletized according to prior art practice;

[0008]FIGS. 2 and 3 respectively are isolated front elevational and plan views of a pallet foot for palletizing a bulk container according to the present invention;

[0009]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of pallets using a pallet foot of FIGS. 2 and 3 in numbers as required and shown in attached relation to a bulk container partially illustrated in phantom perspective;

[0010]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a pallet foot in its assembled condition in a pallet as taken within the arrows 5-5 of FIG. 4, in which the pallet foot is illustrated in phantom to better show details of the assembly; and

[0011]FIG. 6 is a partial detail view in section taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 4.

[0012] Shown in FIG. 1, and taken from U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,101 is a perspective view of a bulk container 10 having an arrangement of panels, individually and collectively designated 12, which bound a compartment 14 for bulk contents, of which the one panel 12A serves as a bottom for the container 10 when it is turned right side up. Container 10 is palletized by the adhesive attachment of feet, individually and collectively designated 16, appropriately adhesively attached to the bottom panel 12A at the nine locations illustrated so that the height of the feet 16 hold the bottom, when right side up, in a clearance position above a floor of a warehouse or other facility, enabling the tines of a forklift truck or hand cart to be inserted in the clearance preparatory to transit of the container.

[0013] To obviate delamination of the adhesive attaching the feet 16 to the bottom 12A, and otherwise improving the adhesive attachment required in the palletizing process, use is made of a pallet foot, generally designated 20 in FIGS. 2 and 3, embodied in pallets, individually and collectively designated 22, in numbers as required in which, more particularly, the embodiment requires that opposite ends 23 of a pallet foot 20 are projected in circular openings in a pallet 22 and it is desirable that such projected ends have surface-to-surface contact with edges bounding these circular openings, all as will be better understood as the description proceeds. The surface-to-surface contact or, absence of movement of a projected end within a cooperating circular opening, avoids a degree of movement that would delaminate the adhesive attachment.

[0014] Referring first to the construction of a pallet 22, the description of one suffices for the three used as illustrated in FIG. 4 because such construction is identical, and contemplates in a preferred embodiment a cooperating pair 26 of two adhesively secured together, as at the interface 28, of superposed rectangular shaped plies 30 and 32 of cardboard construction material, having an operative clearance position from each other bounding an operative mounting compartment 34 for a pallet foot 20 of nine in number. Two pallets 22 are appropriately adhesively secured adjacent opposite sides 24 of the bulk container 36, and the remaining pallet 22 adhesively secured to the bottom 38 in an interposed position therebetween, so as to provide clearance for forklift tines from any side of the bulk container 36 and between the pallet foot alignments.

[0015] As best understood from FIG. 5 in conjunction with FIG. 4, each one of said pallet strip ply 30 in an inner facing relation to each other of said pair 26 is prepared by having a circular shape of its cardboard construction material removed, as by a die cut, so as to present an edge 40 bounding a circular opening 42, and each remaining one of said pallet strip ply 32 of said pair 26 having an area 44 in aligning relation to a circular opening 42 so as to serve as a closure for the opening. Also area 44 serves as a site for the deposit of adhesive for securement of a pallet foot 20 in a circular opening 42, the depth of which, it should be noted, can be increased by correspondingly increasing the number of the ply 30 used in constructing a pallet 22.

[0016] Referring now to the construction of a pallet foot 20, and the assembled condition thereof, reference should be made to FIGS. 2, 3 and 6. Each pallet foot 20 consists of cardboard corrugated construction material, preferable of only one side of kraft paper 46 adhesively attached to fluting 48, of one eighth inches in width 50 which, on a mandrel or the like, is wound from a rectangular strip into a select number of helical turns 52, in this case being four in number for a reason to be explained, and wherein the diameter of the mandrel is sized to provide a correspondingly selected size hollow core 54, in this case being approximately three and one half inches in diameter 56.

[0017] The explanation for what dictates the number of helical turns 52 is to correlate the diameter size of the pallet foot 20 to as close as possible to the diameter size of the circular opening 42 of the pallet strip plies 30. In this case, it will be understood that the die cut circular opening 42 is of a dimension which is the sum of the hollow core diameter 56 of three and one half inches plus four multiples of one eighth inch of the four helical turn-width 57 in circular rim 58 of a pallet foot 20.

[0018] Each end 23 of a pallet foot 20 is dipped, sprayed or otherwise appropriately coated with an adhesive and inserted in a cooperating circular opening 42 and, although difficult to illustrate in FIG. 6, it will be understood that at the interface of the pallet foot end 23 and circular opening edge 40, there will be an established surface-to-surface contact with an adhesive film 62 in an interposed position between the surfaces 23, 40 to contribute to holding each pallet strip 22 in its assembled condition during use.

[0019] While the palletizing of a bulk container herein shown and disclosed in detail is fully capable of attaining the objects and providing the advantages hereinbefore stated, it is to be understood that it is merely illustrative of the presently preferred embodiment of the invention and that no limitations are intended to the detail of construction or design herein shown other than as defined in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A palletized bulk container comprising a bulk container of cardboard construction material having a cooperating arrangement of panels bounding a storage compartment and in which one of said panels serves as a bottom for said container, three strips of rectangular pallets in spaced apart relation having operative positions in which two said strips are adhesively secured adjacent to sides of said bulk container bottom and said remaining strip in an interposed position therebetween, each pallet strip consisting of a cooperating pair of two adhesively secured together superposed rectangular shaped plies of cardboard construction material having an operative clearance position from each other bounding an operative mounting compartment for a pallet foot in a selected number, each one of said pallet strip ply in an inner facing relation to each other of said pair having a circular shape of cardboard construction material removed to present an edge bounding a circular opening and each remaining one of said pallet strip ply of said pair having an area in aligning relation to a said circular opening so as to serve as a closure for said opening, plural select numbers of a pallet foot of a cylindrical configuration with opposite ends having an operative position in said mounting compartment in extending relation between aligned circular openings, each pallet foot consisting of cardboard corrugated construction material of a thickness of approximately one eight of an inch having a hollow core of a selected diameter and adhesively secured together helical turns of a select number so as to present a diameter size as measured by said hollow core and said helical turns to be of approximately the diameter size of said circular openings of pallet strips disposed in said mounting compartment, each said pallet foot having one said opposite end projected in a cooperating one said circular opening characterized by a surface contact established between said end and said edge bounding said circular opening as results from said approximately similar diameter sizes, and an adhesive at the interface of said ends of each said pallet foot and said each circular opening edges to contribute to holding each said pallet strip in assembled condition during use.
 2. A cylindrical foot for a pallet having an edge bounding a circular opening of a diameter sized to receive an end of said foot in projected relation therein, said cylindrical foot comprising a strip of cardboard corrugated construction material approximately one eighth inch in width wound in a select number of helical turns adhesively secured to each other into said cylindrical shape, a surface on an innermost helical turn bounding a hollow core of a selected diameter, and a number of helical turns selected to provide a diameter size of said foot as measured by said diameter of said hollow core and one eighth multiples of said helical turns to contribute to establishing surface contact at an interface of said end of said foot and said edge bounding said pallet circular opening. 